As the Kurdish Peace Institute, we believe that understanding the issues that matter most in Kurdistan and the world requires direct engagement with people, ideas and developments on the ground.

For the past two years, we have published research and analysis rooted in that belief. Now, to further our commitment to providing a comprehensive and non-derivative understanding of Kurdistan and the states in which Kurds live to decision-makers and the public in the United States, we are proud to announce the launch of our sister office in Qamishlo, northeast Syria.

Nearly every issue that governments and societies are concerned with today can be seen in northeast Syria and in the regional conflicts that play out there. Efforts to understand the situation in this key region — through the lens of everything from great power competition to gender equality — can provide important lessons for other global contexts.

In Washington, the Syrian conflict and the regional Kurdish question have fallen from the agenda in recent years — but the security challenges and humanitarian crises these conflicts create have increased, not diminished. At a time when a U.S. strategy aiming towards political solutions that address the roots of both crises is needed, the U.S. is without strategy — and sometimes even without tactics.

Any effort towards these strategies and solutions must begin with information. In this region and these conflicts, we have seen how limited information and limited perspectives create beliefs, policies, and political cultures that are counterproductive or even harmful. With this new program, we aim to be the foremost source of information and analysis on this critical region and the crises that shape it.

In the coming days, we will share our first research and analysis originating from this office and its initiatives. We look forward to your engagement and interest.